The Return
by sherotterlocked
Summary: After Tartarus was hell. Coming back to the real world was almost worse than being in the monster filled one. For Percabeth the immediate shock of what they had done was near traumatising, not least for the others on th Argo 2 who had to get them out of it. But is that how it really ended?


For a little while after their escape, everything was dark for the dirty, blood covered couple. The roars of their enemies still rang in their ears, echoing throughout their traumatized minds. Though they were unaware for now, a battle was still going on around them and unfelt hands cared for them, hoping that they were still alive.

Percy s eyes opened and he wondered if he had dreamt the whole thing. He thought that if he looked around he would see Bob tending to a green fire by the Hermes shrine, or Annabeth sitting with her dagger on her lap, awaiting another attack. Maybe Nyx had just been a nightmare;she was the goddess of Night after all.

He thought this as he slowly awoke, his eyes were already accustomed to the darkness. His hand was wrapped around Annabeth's as he struggled to work out what was going on. Mist seemed to encase them and the shrieks of a battle came from all sides.

He knew that he had to get up, the monsters could be anywhere now. Empousia, drakons, titans, all or any of them could be about to attack them now. If, by the slimmest of chances, that they had actually reached the doors then it must be too late. They were too late, surely. Too late for Bob anyway.

Bob...

Oh Gods, Bob.

Annabeth looked as if she was about to wake up. Her hair was covered in mud and her face caked in blood and ichor but, again, she couldn't be more beautiful. Her eyes opened and like his they were full of tears. Maybe she had had nightmares too, or she was just remembering that place.

That awful place.

And just like that, they started to cry. Floods and floods of tears ran down their faces. A battle was going on but it didn't, couldn't, matter now. They were alive but as long as that place, he couldn't say it's name anymore, remained in their memories they would never be okay again.

Percy didn't even care that his friends could see them now that the battle was over. He didn't care that he sobbed loudly. He just cared that Annabeth was there, at his side, safe. They were safe now, or safer than they had been for weeks in that hell hole. No where, anywhere, could compare to what they had just experienced. He cried openly because the other option was to hold it in and slowly go mad.

Annabeth shook in his arms, she was crying too. It was too dark to see if she was relieved or terrified, but, like Percy, she was probably a bit of both. Strong arms, probably Jason's , lifted them onto the back of a large animal, Frank.

No one said a word.

They shadow travelled out doors,which was a big mistake. As soon as the warm Greek sun hit Percy and Annabeths eyes, they were blinded. Once again they were plunged into the endless black where monsters could be around every corner. Once again they were weak and vulnerable . Once again they cried because there was no other option. Felt was placed over their eyes as they were taken onto the ship.

Still no one said a word.

Their weak bodies were washed and dressed, and their eyes soon healed, but their heads were another matter. Neither wanted to be in the darkness but they found it difficult to escape. Their eyes struggled open in Annabeth's room and they squinted at the brightness.

Then someone spoke. It was Leo.

"Hey guys I know you have just come back and that it was a terrible experience and that it's really amazing that y,,ou're alive, but please , please put the swords away."

That was when both Annabeth and Percy realised that they were holding their weapons up at their friends faces. Battle reflexes from their time down below. Slowly, they put them down.

"Sorry..." Said Percy, surprised at how loud his voice was. He had had to keep his voice down in case he was over heard down in That Place.

Smiles erupted on all their friends faces, Leo slapped Percy on the back and Piper hugged Annabeth. Suddenly everyone was talking but Percy heard none of it. All he could see was Annabeth lying next to him, beautiful and clean again, safe, and it seemed like the rest of the world blurred out.

Food was the next thing that blew them. Piles and piles of it, without having to kill monsters or eat from fire rivers. Without having to risk their lives to test if it was poison. They stared at it as if it was magic, in complete disbelief that it could be real. Tentatively, Percy took a bite out of a pancake (a blue pancake). It wasn't poison. Hunger took over and they both ate as if they hadn't eaten for weeks.

Which, of course, they hadn't.

To sleep would be to return to the hell they had been through. There was no doubt that they would have nightmares. Percy couldn't face the pain right then, and judging by the black figure on the deck Annabeth couldn't either. He walked up to her and held her hand. Her head was raised up to the heavens, the clear starry night above. They both said quietly, with a tear running down their faces;

"Bob says hello."

They didn't hold back their tears anymore.


End file.
